Cleaner burning urged at planned energy plant

Physicians group recommends Las Brisas use gasification

CORPUS CHRISTI - The executive board of the 800-member Nueces County Medical Society has voted to encourage planners of the Las Brisas Energy Center to use cleaner technology in its proposed power plant.

The vote Monday night endorses the views of the Corpus Christi Clean Economy Coalition, a group of local residents and statewide environmental groups. The company maintains that the technology endorsed by these groups is too expensive for this project.

Dr. Mary Dahlen Peterson, an anesthesiologist and chairwoman of the medical society's public relations committee, said the group understands the potential economic benefit of Las Brisas but came to the decision after considering research on pollution.

"We support growth, obviously, but we don't want to do it at the expense of causing bad health effects for the community," Peterson said.

Kathleen Smith, managing partner of Chase Power, said the medical society based its decision on one-sided information from a group of environmentalists. She also disputed the accuracy of a handout prepared by the statewide group, calling it inaccurate propaganda.

"My hope is that when presented with accurate facts, they will be fully supportive of our project and the technology choices," Smith said. "We have to handle it by following the (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) permitting process, which allows for public comment and a contested case hearing where the parties can present their sides and data in full."

Three local physicians made a presentation to the local society's board before it voted. In addition to the handout cited by Smith, the presentation was based on Texas Medical Association position papers, peer-reviewed medical studies and emissions estimates provided by Las Brisas in its permit application.

Las Brisas would generate 1,200 megawatts through four boilers fueled by petroleum coke, or pet coke, a dark, sandy leftover from oil refining.

The Nueces County Medical Society plans to write letters to the Corpus Christi City Council outlining its position urging the plant to use gasification technology.

Gasification involves super-heating the pet coke, which releases gas that then can be burned to power electricity generators. The current plans for Las Brisas call for burning the pet coke directly while using other technologies that lower emissions, plant officials say.

Gasification produces fewer emissions of particulate matter, sodium dioxide and nitrogen oxides, according to the Gasification Technologies Council trade group. Las Brisas consultant Vilma Luna has said the option is not commercially viable for plants such as Las Brisas that sell their power into the grid.

Las Brisas' estimated $3 billion price tag would make it the largest single capital investment in Nueces County history. The plant's emissions also would make it the largest single source of many types of pollution in Nueces and San Patricio counties.

The Clean Economy Coalition and the Nueces County Medical Society are particularly concerned with lead, mercury and particulate matter emissions, as well as ozone-forming chemicals they worry could put Nueces County over the federal limit for ozone. Peterson said peer-reviewed medical journals provide research on the dangers of such pollutants.

"We really don't want to make it political," Peterson said. "From a doctor's perspective, if more people are sick we have more business, but we don't want it like that. Anything we can do to improve the health of our community, we will be speaking out about that."

The Corpus Christi City Council, Port of Corpus Christi commissioners and Nueces County Commissioners Court have voted to support the project, along with boards of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Plans are in the permitting phase with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The plant would be on the north side of the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor, next to the port's bulk terminal.

The plant is estimated to create as many as 1,300 direct and 2,600 indirect jobs during construction, and 80 to 100 permanent jobs when it is operational. Houston-based Chase Power plans to begin construction in 2009 for a scheduled start in 2013.